Richard Anane wants NHIS capitation terminated

A former Minister for Health, Dr. Richard Anane, has begun a crusade aimed at terminating the controversial capitation program being piloted by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIS) in the Ashanti Region.

The Nhyaeso MP has filed a motion demanding that Parliament "urges the Honorable Minister for Health to terminate the on-going Health Insurance Capitation program in the region.

According to Citi News’ Parliamentary Correspondent, Richard Dela Sky, “if a vote is taken and it is in favour of the motion, what it means is that the Minister responsible for the health sector may be persuaded by the argument from the floor and the resolution that will be passed subsequently, move in the direction of the recommendation being made.”

The motion, however, if defeated will end in Parliament, but might persuade the Health Ministry to make some modification to the health capitation in consultation with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

In 2013, the Ashanti Regional caucus in Parliament issued a joint statement demanding the termination of the capitation policy being piloted in the region.

Health care providers in the region in December last year also urged the Health Ministry to stop the two-year long pilot because the insurance payment system was paralyzing their operations and the quality of care.

Last month, the Health Ministry met with stakeholders to brainstorm on options for scaling up the payment system for the national health capitation across the country, as a nationwide roll-out of the capitation will soon commence.

Capitation is a provider payment method in which providers are paid, typically in advance, a pre-determined fixed rate to provide a defined set of services for each individual enrolled with the provider for a fixed period of time.